a picaresque novel
by sumire.syrup
Summary: In which Hinata freefalls, and Sasuke unwittingly catches her. "You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies. You have me." modern AU. Sasuhina, Narusaku
1. vagabond

**a picaresque novel**

 **(a/n)** aka my poor attempt at slice of life.

 _scenes in italics -_ Flashbacks

 **(disclaimer)** i do not own Naruto, it belongs to Kishimoto Masashi (if I did, it would never end the way it did).

* * *

 **1\. Vagabond**

 ** _Konoha, Otani Inn — May 2018 — 4:36 pm_**

The ceremony was everything she imagined it would be, _imagined hers would be._ The hall was packed full of well-wishers who wanted to be a part of the special day, sharing stories far and wide of how the blond touched their lives; how they never expected he would have come so far, _it's like Rookie 9 grew up before their eyes_.

Graceful hands reflecting years of practice and training demurely reaches for the porcelain cup of tea. She would have cited paperwork, and work-related duties for her absence if it weren't for bright emerald orbs that honestly and sincerely insisted her presence, _"it would mean the world to us if you were there."_

Her eyes linger on the happy couple in question; she only has nice things to say about them because who doesn't?

Lilac orbs drift to the rest of her old high school graduating class. Lee is trying to convince Neji of something, _anything._ TenTen and Kiba are locked in a drunken arm wrestle while Shino supervises. Ino is talking Shikamaru's ears off while he annoyingly stares at Chouji whose working on his next plate.

It feels like the world kept spinning even though it left her behind.

Arms encircling her from behind, a melodic voice called out, "Hinata! I'm so glad you could make it, you have no idea!" They hadn't had much time to converse until after the dinner and bridal dance.

She returned the hug that smelled of cherry blossoms. "Yes, thank you for inviting me. I'm so happy for you and Naruto-kun." Her smile reaches her ears because they are people who she loves dearly and fiercely. Her eyes automatically search for Naruto who was not by Sakura's side but was busy challenging Kiba to shots of patron.

"Shots, dog breath!" yelled Naruto as he directed Kiba to the freshly mixed cocktail.

"Dude, are you sure...? it's on... fire?!"

"Yeah man! One, two, three!"

"Wait-I think you're suppose to ..." but it was already too late. Naruto was blowing flames out of his nose. "..blow the flame out."

He moved instinctively out of the blond's line of sight and narrowly missed burning his eyebrows off. "Dude, what the fuck. Watch where you're breathing, you freaking dragon. You almost burned my eyebrows off!"

Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs up in response. Kiba rolled his eyes and took the B-25. But unlike Naruto, he made sure to blow the flame out first.

Hinata and Sakura both watched the scene before the pinkette rolled her eyes, a little relieved he didn't burn the restaurant down. "Can't leave him alone for even _one_ minute."

Ever since her friendship with Sakura grew stronger, her friendship with Naruto responded inversely. It felt wrong to keep in touch despite the pinkette's insistence. Naruto may have been able to shrug it off and move on like nothing happened but she couldn't. She loves wholly, and she loves fiercely.

* * *

 ** _Konoha, Hyatt Hotel — August 2017 — 4:36 pm_**

 _Emerald eyes pierced lilac ones, "why can't you come?"_

" _I can't. I... I might have work to do," she lied. Frankly, she was just awkward and didn't want to face Naruto, someone who she made no effort to keep in touch with despite his attempts at maintaining a casual friendship. She had tried to be supportive of their new relationship but somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept wondering if Naruto would hurt Sakura the same way he had hurt her? She was distrustful of him and she hated herself for feeling like that._

" _You_ always _have work. Come on, it's just dinner. It will be fun! Everyone will be there, it's just a small get together. Shino, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru… Naruto."_

" _I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I really can't. Next time? Please?"_

 _Sakura pursed her lips, sensing she wasn't going to win this one. Hinata could be very stubborn when she wanted to. "Fine. But tomorrow we're getting high tea. Okay? There's something I'd like you to have."_

" _Okay."_

* * *

"You think so? Ino insisted I should've gotten a wedding planner, but I think I pulled it off pretty well," she let out a hearty laugh and playing with the mesh of her dress. "Although… I think I might've shaved off a few years of our lives…"

Hinata smiled. "I think you did really well… the flowers, décor, the food… they're all lovely. I'm surprised you're a one man show."

Sakura blushed in response, she was never one to handle compliments well. "Thank you. It wasn't difficult, most of them responded to the Facebook group that Ino made as soon as we graduated. _You were invited too, you know._ From there, it just came down to reconnecting with who really mattered."

After post-secondary, Hinata deliberately fell off the face of social media and applied for an internship in Tokyo instead of interning for her Father in Konoha. Though it was only a 3 hour train ride away, she thought she could outgrow her childish self by being in a different city. But ironically, Konoha Academy followed her there too, placing her under the care of one brooding Uchiha.

Noticing her lack of response, Sakura continued, "well… when it's your turn, let me know. I've been there done that. Trust me… this isn't something you want to do alone."

Hinata returned the nod, grateful that if her time came, she'd have a network of support. Though she can't help but feel ashamed for her mixed feelings on such a happy day.

She recalls her relationship with Naruto, and smiles. Yes, he has indeed come a long way. She's happy for him, she wished she could tell him that; for he was able to meet someone who could ground his wanderlust, someone who could root him down even if it wasn't her.

* * *

 ** _Tokyo University – Second Semester, December 2014_** ** _– 9:31 pm_**

" _W-why don't we talk about the future? Why don't we make plans and goals_ **together** _?" she asked, voice cracking._

" _I-I don't know Hinata… we're still so_ young. Y _ou can't plan for everything. I like to take things as they come," he responded, unconsciously rubbing his neck. He hated when he made her cry._

 _She winced. "B-but what about us? D-do you ever think of me when you're backpacking Southeast Asia o-or catching the next flight to Austrailia?"_

 _He looked away, unable to face her. This was hurting him too. "I want to see the world, Hinata and I want to see it with you. I always ask you, but you_ **never** _want to come."_

" _I-I never said never! I said I was busy and I have school. You_ know _that!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, it's not fair. This wasn't fair._

" _That's exactly it. It's either a 'maybe' or you're busy. You're_ always _busy."_

 _At a loss for words, she looked away._

 _"I-I can't t-talk about this with you r-right now. I h-have to hand in my intern applications," she stuttered._

 _He never knew how to deal with her emotions and frankly, she didn't know how to either._

 _She wanted to say how disappointed she was that he wouldn't be back for her birthday despite her telling him months ahead that she would like him to be there._

 _Maybe if she had been better at communicating her feelings, the dam wouldn't have broken. Its walls had cracked under the pressure and the precious feelings that she kept bottled up poured out._

* * *

It's hard for Hinata to not to love Sakura. She should have seen it coming. It was painfully obvious that Naruto would never outgrow his childhood crush. If anyone could tame a vagabond, it would be Sakura.

"Are you alright?" asked her date for the night as he took the seat beside her, his voice breaking her out of her reverie.

"Y-yes," she responded lamely, suddenly extremely conscious of her surroundings. She could feel obsidian eyes resting its gaze on her. If he didn't believe her, he didn't voice it. She looked away from his probing eyes but her gaze landed on the redhead he had been talking to earlier. The redhead eyed her warily.

"Hn. I'm going to grab a drink from the bar, do you want anything?"

He intimidated her sometimes because he he looked at her, it felt like he was reading her. She glared at his combed back locks, feeling a sudden urge to mess it up.

"No, I'm alright. Thanks."

"Are you sure?"

Or maybe not? "Ah… M-maybe a glass of red?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't say maybe if you want to say no."

"Malbec, please."

"Hn. I'll try, no promises." She watched as he expertly avoided the drunken group blocking the bartender. She searched for the redhead, wondering if the woman would approach him again.

Realizing she was alone, a feeling of being obviously singular settled in. Should she attempt to make small talk? It's been so long since she's returned to Konoha that she wasn't sure where she would fit in. She had tried to avoid the big reunions that Ino organized because crowds never suited her, but she would be lying if she said she didn't miss Rookie 9.

She wasn't the only one who left Konoha after High School. Most of her friends moved as soon as they graduated, opting for universities in Tokyo or abroad. Those who remained, settled down. It was easy to disconnect and lose touch with each other when everyone was so occupied with moving on with their lives.

She reached for her iPhone in an attempt to look distracted.

Tapping the Gmail app, she inwardly groaned when she saw the notifications. _Inbox (41)_. Even on vacation it's impossible to get a break.

A glass placed on the table in front of her broke her out of her reverie.

"It's Cab sav. They didn't have Malbec." She looked up in response, relieved for the return of company even if it was in the form of her emotionally constipated colleague. Most of the guests had swayed to the dance floor after dinner was served and they were two of the few who have yet to join in on the shenanigans. She could hear Ino in the background return to the stage in an attempt to grab Hinata's attention, "Come to the dance floor, girl!". Hinata profusely shook her head and motioned for her wine. In truth, she stayed behind because she didn't want to intrude. _But intrude on what?_

"It's alright. I'm surprised, though. Malbec is usually quite common," she murmured as she lifted her glass, swirling the red and watching it cascade down the sides. She was told the more expensive the wine is, the quicker it slides down the glass. Sakura had went all out.

"What's that?" she asked, eyeing his cup that clinked with ice and a brown liquid.

"It's Cognac, on the rocks. Want to try?" he lifted the glass in her direction, offering her a taste.

She reached for it out of politeness and brought it to her lips. Instant gag-reflex.

Coughing, she could feel the burn up her nose. "S-sorry.. I don't like Cognac."

He took the glass from her hands and took a sip, savoring the burn down his throat. "Really. It's smooth, you don't get hang overs from this."

"I heard. But it's so strong and I'm not used to the taste," she responded as she took a large gulp of her own red in an attempt to wash down the taste; an action she immediately regretted. Squeezing her eyes shut to will the alcohol from coming back up again, she took another sip.

"True. Not something you'd want to take shots of," he chuckled, recalling how she probably should have sipped it and not shot it. He lifted his glass to cheers her.

She smiled, and returned the motion.

Resting her glass on the table, she gently placed both palms on her cheek to feel the warmth from the wine that was already beginning to settle in. Feeling brave, she took another large sip to calm her bundle of nerves. This time fully prepared for the strong flavor.

"Sasuke…" she called softly, not sure if he heard her but half hoping he didn't. She peeked over, hoping it was the latter but it was too late. He was already looking at her, patiently waiting to hear what she needed to say.

"D-Do you ever feel like… you missed out?" Taking a deep breath for courage, she continued cryptically. "Sometimes… I don't think I made the right choice," _stop talking._ "Sometimes I feel like I should have done more. I should have taken more risks. I'm 24 but I still feel 16."

Her cheeks burned at the sudden admission. Wine is bad. Alcohol is bad. Time for damage control.

"A-ah… sorry, I didn't mean to dump that on you." Stop.

"It's fine," he responded, taking a sip of his own drink and letting her continue.

"I-I'm really happy for Sakura-chan," she continued, fixing her gaze on the couple before swirling her glass and downing the rest of its contents. "But, I don't know why I feel this way." Stop. Stop. _Stoptalking_. "I don't even know what I'm feeling!"

She laughed nervously, _damage control._ "I should probably get another red", she continued lamely, feeling frantic to change the conversation and lighten the mood. _Damage control._ She was about to get up but his voice stopped her.

"You're doing fine. Isn't that enough?"

"Is it?" she asked nobody.

"It's a wedding. People are always feeling funny at weddings."

Hinata pursed her lips, annoyed with his lame response. "It was a rhetorical question," she laughed, suddenly finding humor in the conversation.

"Hinata," his voice called suddenly. When she finally came to, his nose was only mere inches away from her. For a second, she thought he was gonna kiss her. "You ask stupid questions, you get stupid answers."

He flicked her forehead before moving away. At a loss for words, she blinked, hand instinctively touching the tender spot. "W-what?"

"W-wait, where are you going?"

"Getting another drink. Want a mimosa?"

In the background, Ino announces the throw of the bouquet and garter.

"Un."

A third girl approached Sasuke at the bar.

And then it hit her. Ah, that was why.

She was painfully single and she had made no effort to change.

Why did it take her so long to realize it?

* * *

 **(a/n)** and that's it! not much fluff I guess but I wanted to try a slice of life. You as the reader is sort of jumping into the scene of things midway. I hope I've done a good enough job explaining the dynamics of the relationships so far. I think I could explore more of this modern AU but it can also stand as a one-shot on its own. What do you think? I might include short snippets of other pairings too, but it will be crack. I love crack pairings. They are my life.

Please review, I'd love to hear what you think! Also sorry for the horrible grammar, vocab and what not. It's been years since I wrote anything.


	2. workaholics

**(a/n)** to the awful person who cluttered my (and many other author's) reviews with cancer: if you want me to kill myself, why don't you stop being a fucking loser that hides behind Guest and say it to my face. If you're just a bloody coward, then it's not worth my time; not worth _anyone's_ time. but if you insist on keeping at it, go ahead because frankly, I don't care. it's hilarious how desperate you sound. the fact that you have this kind of time suggests how meaningful your life must be.

if you don't like it, thats ok. but don't stomp all over stuff that other people love, ok? get a life.

also, it should be noted that I don't read or watch Naruto anymore. i stopped after the save sasuke arc because it descended into bad writing (he does not know how to write female characters). Kishimoto did a pathetic and deplorable job in maintaining and developing the abundant cast that he created, the way Naruto ended further illustrates my point. Anyways, this is my interpretation of the cast.

 _That being said, rant over_ , thank you, _thank you_ so much for the kind reviews, follows and favorites 😊 I love you all so so much. If it weren't for you guys, this chapter wouldn't have happened. It made me so happy to know you enjoyed it. I was kind of upset and slightly annoyed at the negativity, but you guys made it worth it and motivated this chapter.

 **(disclaimer)** rights belong to their rightful owners. I do not own Naruto.

 _scenes in italics_ – flashbacks

* * *

 **2\. Workaholics**

 ** _Tokyo, Uchiha Holdings – August 2018 – 8:29 am_**

"Would you stop that?"

He watched as a visibly startled Hinata came to. "H-huh?" she asked. _Click. Click. Click. Click._

He eyed the offending object in her hand and tried again, pointing at it with his own pen for reference. "That. Your pen. Stop."

"O-Oh… Sorry," she said, immediately dropping the ink roller. She rubbed her clammy hands on her pencil skirt. "I didn't even realize I was doing it. Sorry, I'm just… so _nervous_."

He sighed and massaged his temples. "I know. I can tell." He gave her a sidelong glance. "Breathe, Hinata. It's just Itachi and Tsunade. We've done this before. It's nothing new," he said as he readjusted his tie and cleared his throat for the fifth time in that hour.

"When do you think they'll arrive?" she asked, her fingers drumming the surface. Fingers that immediately stopped upon noticing Sasuke's fixated stare. The delicate digits moved to toying with her hair.

He slid his sleeve up, revealing a shiny Rolex. "10 minutes ago. They're late. Do you have the proposal uploaded onto the network?"

She nodded. "Un." She had double— and triple-checked its contents before giving Sasuke the go ahead to load the presentation. Once she saw their title slide come to life, she repeated the ritual; QC, upload and repeat. Already used to her OCD, he complied easily despite how redundant the process was to him; he knew there would be no mistakes. She was too careful and too much of a perfectionist to let that happen.

 _Welp._ He could deal with unnecessary quality control if it meant she could stop her fidgeting.

The room was awfully hot and his tailored Giorgio Armani suit was doing him no favours. He could feel her nerves rubbing off on him; so much that he had to fight the sudden urge to fix his hair, namely the distasteful cowlick that was noticeably obvious in his reflection off the window opposite of him. He supposed that's what happens when you've worked together with someone for 5 years—you pick up their _unusual_ habits. Sasuke chuckled at the grim thought while finding himself unconsciously fiddling with the edge of the paper document. He retracted his hands immediately and stuffed them in his pockets.

"I'm beginning to think they're not going to show up," he mumbled, checking his watch _again_.

The bluenette reached for her iPad and began scrolling through her inbox. She tapped on the latest incoming message. "Ah, his flight was delayed," she revealed. She couldn't discern if she was feeling relieved or disappointed.

"Figures," he said, already rising and reaching for the hand outs Hinata had laboriously printed and organized in front of the seats opposite to them; the seats that their revered CFO and Operations Manager were suppose to occupy. It wasn't unusual for Tsunade to be late, the woman was never on time for anything. But it was unusual for his brother to be. That man was punctual down to the millisecond.

Hinata rose to receive the handouts that Sasuke had passed to her. Her fingers ran over the edge but careful not to give herself a paper cut. She ensured the pages were aligned before slipping them into her Louis Vuitton Porte-Documents Jour. _This is a good thing_ , she reminded herself. Her stressing was _only_ post-poned for another week. _No big deal._

Resting her briefcase on the table, she picked up her iPad and swiped through the dates of May, mentally recalling Naruto and Sakura's spring wedding a couple of weeks ago. It's almost June. Has it really been that long?

"I sort of wish we could have… just gotten it over with," she said softly.

"I know. But we couldn't have predicted this. We will be more prepared tomorrow."

"T-Tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he said as he leaned over her shoulder and swiped the calendar on her iPad back to today's date. He tapped on the push notification and note from Itachi that she had missed. _'Meeting post-poned till Friday._

Her breath hitched at the sudden contact, mentally berating herself and momentarily forgetting what she was going to do with the manila folder in her hands. She should be used to his close proximity by now, but his warm breath against the back of her neck and his musky cologne still caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. _It tingles,_ she noted. His cologne made her nerves do all kinds of weird twisty turnies.

When he finally pulled away, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Just one more night of panicking and then you can rest easy," he smirked, tapping the manila folder on her head lightly before slipping it away in her briefcase for her.

"H-hey!" she pouted, after coming out of her daze and in an attempt to look irritated. Standing at just 5 ft 3, her heels did her no justice considering he was a full head and neck taller than her at 6 ft. She doesn't know why she bothers, when they both know that the expression only makes her look something akin to an angry hamster.

Upon noticing Sasuke was already leaving, she called out, "Wait up!" as she pushed their chairs in, doing a once over of the room to ensure that it will be ready for the next group of people who need to use it. She gently closed the meeting room door behind her and trailed after Sasuke.

She took a large step into the elevator but at the last moment, her heel had gotten caught in the gap between the metal frame of the elevator doors and the building wall. Bracing for an impact, she squeezed her eyes shut. But instead she was met with distinct cologne and a firm chest. Looking up, lavendar orbs met playful obsidian ones.

He smirked, hand resting on her waist to keep her in place. Already used to her clumsiness he had reacted without thinking.

"I told you those heels were bad for you," he commented as he steadied her and reached around her for the button. '12' for her floor and 'M' for himself. The elevator would drop her off first.

The area of her waist which his hand rested on felt cold at the sudden loss of contact. "They're not just 'heels', Sasuke. They're Louboutin's," she teased, knowing fully well that he could care less.

"Tch. Not worth it if you wince when you walk."

"I-I don't do that!" she countered back. The heels had costed her an arm and a leg, blisters were only a minor sacrifice.

He let out a small snort but made no other comment.

The elevator music drowned out the comfortable silence and Hinata found herself unconsciously humming to the tune.

"Are you having lunch today?" he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"No," she began, but noticing his concern, she quickly explained, "—M-maybe, but I want to take one more look at the proposal first… since we have more time."

Sasuke checked his watch, already prepared for her answer. "Hn. Suit yourself, I'll see you later." He gave her a slight wave and held out her briefcase. Startled, she took it from his hands. Since when had she let it go?

"Ja ne!" she responded without thinking, giving a soft wave that he didn't see.

Hinata let out a huff before making her way towards her desk.

As a Junior Business Analyst, she didn't get the luxuries of an office with a fancy view like Sasuke's. Hers was a cubicle, just large enough for dual monitors and a few personal knick knacks. Fortunately, it was situated in front of the floor to ceiling window, overlooking the beautiful cityscape.

If she squinted, she swears she could see Konoha in the distance.

* * *

 ** _Tokyo, Uchiha Holdings – October 2015 – 7:58 am_**

 _Hinata approached her desk but was immediately confused as she was met with blank desk space where her monitors were supposed to sit._

" _You're moving desks today. Technical support took the liberties of transferring your desktop first," stated the brooding senior consultant out of nowhere._

" _W-what? Why? How?" Although she was grateful, she was positively sure she didn't put a request in for it. She had told herself that she would learn to appreciate what was given to her. It was her_ will of fire! _Even if that meant she was three floors away from Sasuke whom she had to report to everyday. On a bad day, she'd take the stairs because the elevators would become so congested._

" _I requested it. You're part of Sales, so it makes sense for you to be there too," he said, pausing and seemingly considering his words. "Plus it's more convenient for the both of us. You're my associate after all."_

" _R-right," she replied as she began sorting and gathering her desk supplies. Picking through her personal desk décor and organizing it in the plastic bin he put on her desk._

 _He picked up her file organizer and gently placed it in the box for her, careful to not spill its contents. "I don't know how you stand it here. I have a migraine from all the chatter. Didn't realize our call center was_ this _busy_. _"_

" _I-it's not so bad once you get used to it," Hinata commented softly as she pushed her chair in. Swallowing the rising nostalgia, she picked up the box, mentally preparing herself to say goodbye to her intern years. It was more anti-climatic than she imagined it to be. The least he could have done was told her, she huffed._

 _He plucked the box out of her hand and stepped in front to lead the way. "'Get used to it', huh."_

" _Un. Karui-san has quite the uh… colourful vocabulary," she giggled. She would come to miss her desk-neighbor. Listening to the redhead's comedic and timed outbursts was usually how Hinata started her day._

 _Not knowing what to do with her empty hands, she looked around to see if she missed anything while Sasuke made for the hallway. "Your plants," he called out. Ah, she almost forgot those._

 _She grabbed the potted orchids that had begun wilting from the lack of sunlight. Luckily her succulents were still going strong, or so she through. She picked at the leafy green and frowned, they were beginning to lose its vibrant green._

 _"You should've gotten cacti instead_ ," _he commented dryly once she caught up to him._

* * *

Skyscrapers and big windows were her favorite part about being in corporate. It was well worth the years of being a lowly paid intern. For her internship at Uchiha Consulting, her desk was squeezed in between two members of the Customer Service department, a poorly thought out decision by Technical Support. They had said that was the only space available, but Sasuke begged to differ. _'She's three floors away from me but we work together everyday. How does that make any sense?'_ he had argued with the admins.

She had tried to tell him that it was no big deal for she already knew the answer. _'I understand, Uchiha-san. But we don't have immediate available cubicles. Please check again later,'_ the poor receptionist had reasoned.

Her old cubicle could have substituted for a broom closet, which made her feel more like a misfit than a valued member society. _But whatever_ , she said to herself, started from the bottom and now she's _here_. Big shiny windows, and an actual _working_ coffee machine. _'Whoa! The break room even has a kitchen! With stone counter tops too!'_ she had exclaimed excitedly as he gave her the tour of the floor. _'Yeah. And it doesn't sound like a supermarket either,'_ he had noted. He was right, it felt like she was walking in a different building, not another floor. Management had splurged on the 12th floor.

She retrieved the USB containing the proposal from her purse and slotted it into the PC. If it goes well, it could mean a possible promotion for her. It would mean she could drop the _Junior_ from her title, making her a full fledge _Business Analyst_! Maybe she'll even get business cards! How _exciting._

Hinata wanted to prove that it wasn't her father's influence that landed her a position for one of the largest consulting companies in Japan. _'Fine. If you won't intern for me, I'll at least make sure you'll have no problem interning elsewhere,'_ he had said gruffly despite Hanabi's insistence that her older sister would be fine.

 _All the men in her life were such worrywarts,_ Hanabi had muttered mysteriously. Hinata wasn't sure if Hanabi had meant that for herself, or for Hinata.

Lavender orbs proceeded to scan the documents. Reiterating details in her head that she had already memorized. As a Hyuuga, OCD was virtually encoded in her DNA.

Typing away at her keyboard, she could feel her eyes start to grow heavy and dry. In attempt to soothe them, she blinked hard. _One, two, three._ Maybe it would be more effective if she just closed her eyes for a few minutes. Maybe then they will stop feeling like sandpaper altogether. _Maybe..._

Her nose wrinkled as her senses were invaded with something that smelled deliciously tasty. But before she could begin salivating, she felt a foreign weight shift on her desk.

Hands reached up to rub her eyes, careful to avoid the eyeliner. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep.

Her gaze refocused on the plastic bag in front of her. Confused, she looked up at the intruder.

"Ano… what's this?"

He coughed awkwardly, suddenly and seemingly out of no where. "Your lunch. Or afternoon snack. Whichever you prefer." Still sensing her confusion, he clarified, "Just something extra I ordered."

Lilac pupils blinked as the bluenette curiously reached for the plastic bag and unraveled the easy knot. Her stomach grumbled in response and she was reminded that she should have taken her lunch.

Hinata pulled out the brown paper box to-go container, flipping open the flaps revealing a well garnished Chicken Alfredo Fettucine. "These aren't leftovers," she commented softly. She looked at Sasuke in confusion and for direction, unsure of how to proceed.

"I never said it was." He reached into the bag and pulled out a fork, ripping open the plastic wrap and sticking it unceremoniously in her pasta.

She smiled shyly. "O-oh, you really didn't have to. I was going to grab a quick snack later."

He blinked at her, thoroughly unconvinced and unimpressed. "I would hardly say your 'SoyJoy' bars count as a meal replacement."

Flustered at his directness, _was she that obvious?_ She fought her blush. "N-no! I probably would've opted for something more… _filling?"_

Obsidian eyes flickered, slightly perturbed. "Right. Because our vending machines are so nutritious."

"H-hey! To be fair… they're a good source of… _fibre_ ," she chimed enthusiastically while meeting his gaze, ready to advertise the benefits and complex ingredients claimed by the frugal snack.

"No. Save me the commercial ad. Peasant food is peasant food."

She dug into her pasta in annoyance. She slurped loudly but chewed slowly.

"Cute, Hinata," he commented, swiftly wiping the speck of sauce off her nose with a napkin. "—like _children falling_."

"W-what's that suppose to mean—"

"I'm going to be in a meeting till 5 o clock. If you need anything, shoot me an email," he said as he checked his watch.

"Wait! A-are you going to Naruto's and Sakura's tonight?" she asked, unconsciously twirling her fettucine.

Despite the quiet awkwardness between the blond and the bluenette (but it was mostly just her), Sakura still made it a point to hold monthly hang outs and attempt to convince Hinata to attend them. She had insisted that she was too old to make new friends, so she'll work on keeping her old ones. The girl was stubborn and could care less about the awkward history between Hinata and Naruto. Though it was namely Hinata because she was too aware of the people around her whereas Naruto forgave too easily. To him, they were easy friends again.

* * *

 ** _Tokyo, Uchiha Holdings – January 2016 – 4:15 pm_**

" _You're coming tonight right? I… sort of want to talk to you about something. I… I know you work with Sasuke so I've already asked him to take you tonight. That way you won't have to take the train," Sakura said. Hinata could sense the uncertainty behind her friend's voice._

" _Of course, Sakura-chan. What is it?" she inquired softly._

" _I-its… something I'd like to talk to you about... in person…"_

 _Hinata felt something heavy drop in her stomach at the suspense. She swallowed, not sure if she should inquire. What could it be? "Oh… okay. I'll see you tonight." She bid her friend goodbye and placed her iPhone on her desk, wondering what could possibly get Sakura so rattled. She was developing anxiety from the suspense._

" _Are you ready to go?" asked her supervisor as he slipped on his peacoat. The winter in the city could be unforgiving, the humidity made the cold feel all the more colder. It was different to the dry winters she was used to in Konoha._

" _Un. Just let me grab my purse first."_

" _Okay. I'll get the car and meet you in the front. Don't come out till I tell you to."_

" _Oh okay… ano… Why?"_

" _Do you want to sit in a warm car or not?" he asked dryly, as if the answer should have been obvious._

" _A-ah, right."_

* * *

He let out a quiet snort. "Not sure… I have a meeting with Temari regarding our latest audit." He groaned as he rubbed his temples. "Don't know how long it will be. God knows I see enough of that woman at our family dinners."

She giggled softly in response. Hinata couldn't understand the strange relationship between him and his sister-in-law. How could two brothers… so closely related but contrast so much in interests and personality?

The opinionated woman was commanding, yes… but she was also very charming and down to earth. Hinata could easily see why their CFO was besotted with the spunky blonde.

Despite their high-profile marriage, Temari had insisted on maintaining her career. _'I would be skinned_ alive _before I become a_ trophy wife _'_ she had loudly and openly proclaimed, wrinkling her nose with a scowl.

The Suna woman had somehow managed to expertly and strategically separate her work affairs and domestic life. Cleverly dodging raised questions of 'conflict of interests' with feigned ignorance.

It was through hard work that she became the Accounting Head. _So obviously_ , there was no way she would throw it all away for a _guy,_ even _if_ he was her superior and potential _soulmate_.

"How was it?" Hinata asked curiously, "…living with her, I mean."

Sasuke looked properly uncomfortable now. The soft chatter and sound of a stapler in the background sounded awfully loud in contrast to his noted silence. He pursed his lips together, choosing his words carefully. "About as well as you would predict."

Hinata found herself feeling smug and a slight flash of satisfaction to see him so disturbed.

"Anyways, I have to go. I'll let you know if I can tonight. If I can't, will you be fine getting there on your own?"

"Un. Sakura said she could pick me up if she's in the city."

"Okay. Let me know anyways," he stated as he eyed her pasta, "and make sure you finish that."

"Yep. Good luck in there," she said gently, somewhat jokingly and half seriously.

He smirked, her tone was too light. "Yeah, yeah. You're pushing it you know."

"Bye," she teased.

"Whatever."

* * *

 ** _Konoha, Haruno Residence – January 2016 – 6:45 pm_**

" _Hinata… I-I don't know how to start this," Sakura spoke hesitatingly as she toyed with the frill of her blouse. Emerald eyes expressing everything but saying nothing._

" _W-what is it?" Hinata inquired softly. Upon entering the condo, Sakura had immediately pulled her aside and the two retreated to her bedroom. Sakura had claimed it was a 'girl's talk' and 'no boys allowed'._

 _Once she closed the door, she took a deep breath of reassurance before beginning. "I… I know how hard it must have been for you guys…" she started, straight to the point._

 _You guys? Hinata had asked herself, immediately thinking of Sasuke. Belatedly realizing that she voiced it aloud until Sakura responded. "Yeah… you and Naruto."_

 _Oh._

 _"A-ah… wh-what about u-us?" They had dated since high school but mutually parted ways shortly after she turned 20. "I-it's been awhile…" —been a long time, actually— "I haven't spoken to him since," she said softly to no one._

" _I… I know…" Sakura paused, unsure if this was right the choice anymore. "Anyways… I wanted to speak with you because…" she trailed off reluctantly. She was usually outspoken and had no issues expressing herself, it was in her personality to get straight to the point. She hated beating around the bush. But when it came to confrontation with someone as gentle as Hinata, Sakura suddenly found herself at a struggle for words._

 _The pinkette eyed the ground, seemingly trying to will it to life and swallow her with it. "—B-because I started seeing him last week," she blurted suddenly. "I-I… I don't know how it started. I mean… I just feel so awful, I-I mean… you and I… we're friends. We're… we're best friends," Sakura continued._

 _The bluenette halted, blinking owlishly at the news. Ah… So that's what it was._

 _She could feel a lump rising in her throat, and her palms go clammy. She rubbed them on her dress pants unconsciously. She looked down and mentally recalled broken promises and sun-kissed kisses._

 _Sakura noticed Hinata's sudden silence but didn't say anything._

 _Hinata took a deep breath, trying to quell the anxiety rising within her._ " _I-It's… okay, Sakura-chan. Really. It's been over a year sinc—since we broke up," she swallowed._

 _Emerald eyes softened. She reached for her friend's hand, mentally noting how warm Hinata's hand was. "I know… But—"_

"— _But it's okay. I swear. I-I haven't spoken to him in awhile. He left for Shanghai shortly after and we just... fell out of contact," Hinata quickly interrupted, not wanting the pinkette to change her mind. Lavendar orbs burned holes into the beige carpet, but she gathered her courage and looked directly at her friend. "… I fully support you guys, i-if that's what you're asking."_

 _The pinkette, however, was unconvinced._ " _Yeah, but—"_

" _—It would honestly make me so, so happy to see you both happy," Hinata said quickly, softly but confidently._

" _Are you sure?" Sakura inquired gently, ready to throw the new relationship away if she need to to save her friendship. She had thought it would be easy to ask for Hinata's blessing, but seeing the girl in person made it all the more difficult. She didn't want to hurt her friend. All of a sudden, she wasn't so sure about the relationship anymore. As much as it would hurt her, her friendship with Hinata came before her relationship with Naruto. They were still treading water so she is sure Naruto would understand too._

 _Hinata knew Sakura needed this. Hinata knew herself needed this._ They _needed this. They were 20 for god's sake. Isn't this why she moved to Tokyo? To grow up and to let go? She mustered up whatever resolve she had left and firmly nodded her head. "Un."_

" _Thank you. Thank you so much, Hinata. You… You have no idea how much this means to me," said her friend as she reached for her and enveloped her in a warm hug. Hinata returned the gesture, she had forgotten how much she missed Sakura since she had moved to Tokyo._

 _The moment seemed to last a life time before Sakura pulled away first._

" _Um… since this is out of the way… I-I'm going to check on the… um.. the salad," fumbled Sakura awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck, an act so uncharacteristic of the pinkette._

" _S-sure. I'll um… I'll be out in a bit."_

" _Oh yeah… yeah of course. Please... take your time."_

 _And it was done. The last part of her subconsciousness that might've been waiting for him had been snuffed out like a flickering candle._

* * *

 **(a/n)** please review if you like this chapter, or give me some constructive criticism (for example, if they're OOC I'd really like to know)... or anything else... i would love to hear from my readers!


	3. growing pains

**(a/n)** this chapter occurs a significant time before the first chapter and second chapter (4 years ago)... but the flashbacks in those chapters make the timeline more muddy. sorry about that! It's also heavily Naruhina for parts of it, so you have been warned :S #slowburn because realistic relationships burn.

thank you for all the kind reviews, follows and favorites. Sorry this chapter took so long. I had it written in a couple of days but for some reason, I just wasn't happy with it. Still not happy with it, but I'm going to upload anyway so I don't make another 1000 changes to it. please forgive me for the errors.

 **(disclaimer)** I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **3\. Growing Pains**

 ** _Tokyo University – Second Semester, February 2015_** ** _– 8:45 pm_**

"—And then I almost missed my ferry to Koh Samui because the traffic was so—Hinata? Hello? Are you still there?"

She was typing furiously away at her Macbook whlist trying to balance her iPhone between her ear and shoulder. She murmured into the phone distractedly. "Mhmm. Sorry I'm—" Mid-thought and rereading the sentence she just typed… _that doesn't sound quite right_. She hit the backspace repeatedly, quickly and loudly; frustrated with her inability to form coherent sentences. "Sorry, I'm just working on a finance case. Y-you missed the train… go on?" she urged gently, a little ashamed that she was only paying half attention.

They tried to maintain regular contact but it wasn't often and it wasn't enough. Their connection relied mostly on Naruto's ability to access wi-fi and Hinata's class schedule. This limited their interactions to mostly at night when he was finally at the hostel or guest house that he was staying. The wifi connection in public and communal places in Thailand were unreliable and trying to maintain a decent FaceTime call was more trouble than it was worth.

He had sent her loads of pictures, though. Probably an attempt to get her to change her mind, but she had been so busy, she only briefly glanced at them. Naruto could tell she wasn't smitten with country, and he couldn't blame her. She was so driven with her academics and future that leisure time was almost a foreign concept to her.

"R-right. Um… I almost missed my _ferry,_ "he emphasized, suggesting that he heard her slip up,"— Because of the crazy traffic in Koh Samui…" Hinata could hear the excitement and adoration he had for the country as he shared with her his latest venture. She smiled fondly, slightly relieved that he wasn't going to call her out for not paying attention. "I really wish you were here, Hina-chan."

"I-I do too," she replied, unsure of what else to say. They had already gone through this.

"Tell teme to do all the work! I want my girlfriend back," he cried dramatically.

"A-ah… I can't do that, Naruto," she jokingly chided. "He could give me a bad peer mark," she giggled, eyeing her unsuspecting partner across the study table. The raven-haired male looked at her curiously, eyebrow raising in question.

Hinata had _sort of_ laid out her ambitions to Naruto before he left. So sensing this was a losing argument, he let it drop. "I'm probably going to head to Cambodia after this," he stated nonchalantly over the _click clack_ of her keyboard.

Delicate fingers immediately stopped, he had her full attention now. "W-what? Y-you're not coming back yet?"

"Yeah. Get this… I was talking to this old man that I met on a boat—on a _boat!_ " he laughed, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "–His name is Jiraiya…" Naruto rambled enthusiastically but Hinata had stopped paying attention somewhere between Cambodia and _boat_. Her mind was solely focused on the fact that he _wouldn't be returning yet_ —not soon at least.

Her throat began constricting and a heavy feeling began to form in her chest. Suddenly the T-shirt she was wearing felt way too thick for the room. _No._

For the past 2 years since graduation, they have been mostly in a long-distance relationship—or Hinata has been in a relationship with her phone.

Hinata had immediately been accepted into her first-choice university in Tokyo to pursue her Bachelor of Business. The revelation came shortly after she completed her entrance exams, not giving her much time to plan for vacation or _a break._ She had multiple offers from multiple institutions, but she chose the farthest one. Naruto decided he would attend a community college to further refine his _delicate_ palate for ramen in Culinary Arts. She couldn't be more happy for him, at least he was chasing his dreams, even if it meant he would stay in Konoha while she packed her bags for Tokyo.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, he dropped out a year later. He wanted to travel and see the world first before he _'had to start adulting'._ She had jokingly rolled her eyes then, not taking him seriously and not predicting what the revelation could mean for her future— _their_ future. She had planned everything down to a Tee, but him _'soul-searching'_ was something she had overlooked. It was only when he was already at the airport, bags packed, that he decided to text her, _'Hey Hina-chan… Sorry for the suddenness… but I know you're in class and I'm about to board my flight for Shanghai, so... Love you, I'll talk to you soon'._

His uncanny and carefree nature was not lost on Hinata, but nothing could've prepared her for this. She had not gotten a chance to respond until he was already boarded and in airplane mode. With him, she was always a minute too late.

"—And he said I could hitch a ride with him." Naruto paused, waiting for a response. "H-hello? H-Hinata… are you still there?" he exasperatedly asked. It was the third time during this conversation that he had to check up on her.

"A-ah… s-sorry. I'm just… I'm just really busy right now…" she lied. She was a horrible liar.

"Oh… um… okay… I-uh I guess I should go then. I should be sleeping anyway. Big day tomorrow," he chuckled nervously.

 _Wait, don't go!_ Her mind screamed. She wanted him to probe her, ask her what was wrong. Did he notice the quiver in her tone? She hated her pride and shyness. She bit her lip, the words never leaving her tongue. She wanted him to fight for her. Instead, she said the opposite of what she intended. "Okay. I'll… I'll talk to you later," she said meekly, moving the receiver away from her ear, not wanting to hear him say goodbye.

"Bye, Hina-chan. I love you! Tell Teme I said Hi! " She heard him yell from the speaker but she deliberately chose not to respond as she abruptly hit 'End Call'.

Taking a moment to collect herself, she stared blankly at the document in front of her. Hinata couldn't tell him to come back, she didn't have the right to. Not when she could tell how much he was enjoying himself, and especially not when he was chasing his dreams. He supported her easily and without conviction even when she had difficulty returning the favor.

"Naruto?" asked her quiet partner, his eyes never leaving his screen.

"Yeah," She paused, seemingly wanting to say more but ultimately choosing not to.

"Hn. Where's he at now?" Sasuke inquired despite maintaining regular contact with the blond, though he didn't say this to her.

Reminded of the conversation she just had, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Taking a deep breath and blinking away the tears that were beginning to sting her eyes, she said, "H-he's in—" She paused, not wanting him to see her in such a sorry state. "—Thailand. H-he's not coming back yet," she said, more to herself than to Sasuke.

"I see," he noted. He seemed to have wanted to comment further, but caught himself before the words came out. "Are you okay?" he asked softly instead, eyes peering over the top of his screen.

"Y-yes," she nodded, immediately breaking eye contact. She could feel herself grow red as she realized he noticed her shaky voice. He subtly pursed his lips, something she would've missed if she wasn't so in tune with his mannerisms. He didn't believe her, but she was grateful that he didn't pursue it.

"I-I changed your section a little bit. The um… the net present value you used did not take in to consideration the approximate market size so…" she started, desperate to change the topic.

"…so that's why I was getting a negative value," he continued for her, eyes lighting. _It made sense._

"Exactly," she smiled.

"Nice. How did you find out?"

"I… I looked at the stakeholder mock proposal we wrote together last year… You actually had it done… correctly," she said, surprisingly. Pretending everything was okay was too easy. "…And I just followed the same steps."

"Wow. I…" he stuttered. For the first time in a long time, he was at a loss for words.

"Me neither," she continued for him in jest, feeling slightly smug she bested him in _something, e_ arning an eye roll from the boy in front of her.

"Cocky," she heard him mutter. She giggled in response, momentarily forgetting the dreadful conversation she had with her boyfriend minutes earlier.

They continued in silence, him going over the assignment to see how he possibly could've messed up the steps, and Hinata? She was internally wrestling her emotions.

He abruptly rose up from his seat and pushed his chair in. She looked up in confusion, eyes questioning where he was going. "I'm going to get something from the cafeteria, want anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I-I'm good."

"I'll get you something warm anyway, I'll be right back."

She watched his retreating form and idly her eyes wandered around the study hall. She could see other students in the same state as her; cramming last minute for an exam, or trying to finish a report that was most likely due the next day.

She stared at her unfinished document again, fingers ready to type but mind blanking. Her hand reached for her phone and silently hovered over Ino's contact information. Oh how badly she needed a friend right now. She pressed on the icon, but maintained a long hold before moving her fingers off the screen, preventing the call action from being processed.

The bluenette sighed, she couldn't bother her friend at this hour. Not when Ino is most likely studying for her med exams.

Luckily the cafeteria that Sasuke was headed to was not connected to their library. It would probably be a 5-10 minute walk across campus for him, giving her some time to recollect her thoughts and compose herself. For once, she was glad he wasn't there. The Uchiha doesn't say much nor does he pry, but he could be awfully perceptive and at that moment, she couldn't trust herself to pretend anymore.

Her mind was properly distracted now. There was no way she could work on the report. She briefly toyed with the idea of sending Naruto a text message. He was only two hours behind her, so she was positively sure that he would answer. It was only midnight in Japan.

' _Hey..'_ she typed out on LINE. Losing her momentary courage, she quickly erased the message altogether.

' _Can I call you?'_ she tried again. _No. Too forward._ She erased the text and tried again.

' _Are you awake?'_ she sent. Belatedly realizing that she had actually _sent_ it, she could feel her anxiety rising. Heart hammering in her chest, she immediately turned off her phone and stuffed it in her pocket. Her hands returning to her keyboard as she readied herself to type another paragraph.

 _This wouldn't do,_ her subconscious said. _You're being silly_.

She pulled the iPhone out of her sweater, turned it back on and gently setting it aside and rested her head on the table. Part of her wanted to talk about it, _so badly._ But another part of her, the infuriating part of her, wanted to kick it under the bed and forget about it.

A familiar ringtone rang out in the library. _Crap_.

She had forgotten to turn on silent after rebooting her phone. She frantically reached for the device and nodded apologies to the irritated stares around her. Quietly, she whispered, "H-hello?"

"Hey, Hinata. What's up?" his raspy voice asked over the line, as if he read her mind.

"H-hi Naruto. Um.. w-what's up?" she asked, feigning ignorance though they both knew why he called.

"No reason. Just felt like it," he chuckled. "I miss you."

"I-I… me too," she responded lamely, not fully convinced of the words leaving her mouth. She was too frustrated, upset, annoyed, sad and etc. to appreciate words the of endearment from him right now. _What do you really want?_ The silent question hanging off the tip of her tongue, the words that she wanted to say but couldn't.

"W-when are you coming back?" she blurted, attempting to hide the frustration in her voice.

"Hm… I don't know," he chuckled. "When was the last time I was in Japan?" he asked. It had been so long, she honestly couldn't recall.

"P-probably 2 months ago. B-but even then, you don't… you don't stay for long," she pointed out. "I-it's been a long time."

"I know, I love it here though! There's so much to see, Hina-chan. I wish you were here. I see all these couples _travelling_ together, and it makes me miss you even more," he said unabashedly.

On a regular day she would've melted at his words. But today, it just irritated her. _If you miss me, why don't you come back and see me?_

"Y-you know I can't, Naruto-kun. I have school. I'm graduating soon," she paused, seemingly losing it, "—and you won't even be there to see me". She could hear her tone rising and she hated it. She hated being so demanding, but that was it, wasn't it? That was why she was upset with him and the stupid paragraph she had been trying to write for the last hour.

Hinata wavered from wanting to take back her words and wanting to say more. Instead, she held her breath and waited for him to speak.

Naruto didn't say anything and Hinata waited with bated breath, still firmly holding on to the resolve that she wasn't going to break first.

He wasn't dense or dumb to her feelings. He knew his wanderlust bothered his girlfriend of three years. But they were _so young._ How could she throw away her prime like that?She hasn't even seen the world yet… yet she's willing to throw it all away for a nine to five?! He wanted to ask her, _why,_ but he fought the words back, already knowing what the outcome would be. Naruto didn't want to fight with her, at least not now… Not when he was more than 4500 kilometers away.

"I-I'm sorry Hinata. You know that. It's… It's just not a good time to come back yet, " his voice no longer raspy and boyish like she remembered, but serious and quiet. "I'm not ready." Sometime while he was overseas, he grew from a boy and into a man; she had missed out on that.

"I-I know… I can… I can pay for your flight back, it's not a big deal. I want you here. I can fly you here, and then fly you back!" she quietly exclaimed.

"Hinata," he said seriously, causing her to pause and regret her words. "You I can't do that. I-it's not about the money, it's… it's more personal than that," he said quietly. "J-just come here and see me when you're done! I can show you what I mean."

"I can't, Naruto. Why don't you get that?" she cried in to the phone, this conversation felt all too familiar to her. They had talked about this before. "I plan to start work immediately after graduation, I-I don't have the time for that."

"And why don't _you,_ get it, Hinata?" he asked seriously and tiredly. This conversation was _awfully_ familiar. "I told you I wanted this, and you said you would be okay with it. If you weren't, why didn't you say anything?"

She shook her head, regardless of whether or not Naruto could see it. Hinata couldn't do this anymore, her hand fisting by her side. _Stop._ She didn't want to hear anymore. "You always say we don't make plans together, but _you_ always make plans without _me_ ," he said quietly. Anxiety was quelling within her, _stop. Stop. Shut. Up._

"I-I did… I mean, I still do, but…" her voice wavering with frustration, anger and something more while tears streamed down her face. Upon noticing Sasuke's approaching figure from the distance, she quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Not wanting him to hear their conversation or see her crying, she motioned to the raven-haired boy that she was heading to the washroom.

In the safety of the washroom, she felt a little more courageous. "But I want you _here,_ Naruto. C-Can't you do that? …For me?" she pleaded simultaneously recalling her conversation with Ino. The rambunctious blonde had firmly stated, _'If he loves you, Hinata… He will do it. Without a doubt.'_ The blonde had been unsympathetic of Naruto's 'soul-searching' and Hinata understood why. Although she couldn't agree. Naruto was different. He wasn't Shikamaru who silently agreed to the blonde's spontaneity with no method or motivation to deny her, Nara responded to her beck and call.

"I-I… I can't talk about this right now, Hinata. I'm sorry," he said softly. This was hurting him too. He knew better than anyone that if they continued, they would probably say something that would hurt and that they both would regret.

Frustrated with her own inability to control her emotions and her irrational anger with _his inability_ to read her mind, she ended the call.

Not wanting to hear any more of it or risk Naruto contacting her, she turned it off and stuffed it in her pocket. She didn't want to talk to him right now nor did she want to risk herself repeatedly checking her phone; checking to see if there was a missed call or message from him. It was distracting and she needed to study and finish the assignment. Although a part of her subconsciousness hoped he would get the hint, give in and find some way to reach her.

Hinata stared at her reflection in the mirror, eyes red and blotchy. She rubbed them furiously, hating the person she was being at the moment and hating how she looked. She fingered the loose strands of her messy bun, and her fringe that was beginning to clump in chunks. She frowned. Her hair was a physical embodiment of her current state.

Frazzled, tangled, and a mess.

She turned on the tap and pressed cold water against her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the red and swollen lids. Sasuke would raise his eyes in question, but he wouldn't pry. It was wrong to dump her drama with Naruto on his best friend, she wasn't that petty.

Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and returned to her seat, avoiding eye contact from the Uchiha in front of her.

"It's brown rice tea," he said as he nudged the warm cup towards her.

"Thank you." She took the drink gratefully, gently blowing at the opening before bringing the cup to her lips. She relished in the comfort that the warm tea brought her.

"Hn. How's the case coming along? Are the financials ready for presentation tomorrow?" he asked distractedly as he typed at his laptop.

"I just… I just need to calculate ROI and finish the pie chart and then we should be… should be good to go," she responded, proud of her ability to sound so _normal_ in contrast to the turmoil boiling inside her _._

"Sounds good," he said. "We've made good progress today." He checked his watch and frowned, _12:38am_. "It's getting late. We should head home soon. I'll walk you back to your dorm."

"H-huh?" she looked up to see him packing his bags. "A-already?" she asked, feeling incredulous with herself. She felt her stomach drop at the thought of returning to her dorm. She needed a distraction but she didn't want to be left alone.

"Yeah. You have an 8am class on Mondays… usually, right?"

"R-right," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. _Click. Click. Click._ She wasn't writing, but she had unconsciously reached for her pen and is now fidgeting with it. Her conversation with Naruto left her feeling sour.

Noticing her reluctance, he sighed. "Do you not want to leave?" he asked softly, shamelessly taking the words right out of her mouth. She had a bad habit of pulling all nighters at the library, and he knew that.

"N-no," she muttered with down casted eyes.

"Do you want me to stay?" he inquired gently. Sasuke was a deliberate and purposeful person. He was no different with words.

 _Maybe,_ she thought to herself. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yeah," she responded so quietly he would've missed it if he wasn't listening.

"Okay."

Hinata watched owlishly as Sasuke sat down and unzipped his backpack, retrieving the laptop which he had earlier tucked away.

She refocused her attention to her screen, shoving Naruto out of her subconsciousness and taking a deep breath. She would finish her section of the business case tonight and she will call Naruto tomorrow, _after her presentation_. She had reacted irrationally and wanted to apologize.

But the circumstances weren't kind to her, it would be 4 days before she spoke with Naruto again.

* * *

"Has he really not spoken to you since Sunday?" her friend asked as she took a bite of her cheesecake.

Hinata nodded. "Y-yeah."

"Why?" Ino paused. "Did you call him?" She licked the icing off the spoon.

The bluenette toyed with her cinnamon bun. "No… but I hung up on him." Normally she loved the cafeteria's treats but today… it tasted incredibly bland to her. Actually everything she ate in the past couple of days tasted incredibly _bland._

"So?!" asked the blonde quizzically.

Hinata blinked at Ino, not understanding Ino's surprise. "Wh-what do you mean 'so'?"

"As in… he _really_ does not get the hint? Why does it matter you hung up on him?"

"W-well… he's a guy…" she began, as she poked her index fingers together.

Unimpressed with Hinata's reasoning, the blonde deadpanned. "That really doesn't explain anything."

"I-it explains _everything!_ "

"No. It really doesn't, Hinata." Ino picked up her spoon and pointed it at Hinata, eyeing the bluentte intensely. "You've been together for 3 years, you'd think he's doing it on purpose."

"Sasuke once said Naruto doesn't play mind games."

"You talked to Sasuke—?!" the blonde responded incredulously before catching herself. Shaking her head, she shot Hinata a knowing glance. "—Nevermind. Naruto is his best friend. Of _course_ he'd say that."

"No, he wouldn't!"

"How would you know?"

"I just.. I just do."

Ino's stare softened. "Okay… my point is… you need to be more direct with _Naruto_."

"I can't… he hasn't called me since."

"What? And why can't _you_ call?"

"B-because…"

"Because what?"

"B-because I'm… I'm scared."

"It's called _confrontation_ , Hinata." Ino paused, as she took the last bite of her cheesecake, finishing the dessert completely. "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. Call him."

"H-huh!? R-right here?" Hinata asked disbelievingly. " _Right now?!"_ She whispered, seemingly very aware of her surrounding and the prying eyes.

"Yep. I just finished my classes for the whole day. I have all day, Hinata." The blonde leaned back, smirking at herself. No way was she going to let Hinata off _that_ easily.

"I-I…"

"Do. It."

"B-but."

"Now."

"Okay," she squeaked. She took out her phone and looked at her 'Recent'. Her heart was heavy in her chest. Still no contact from Naruto yet. _I can't do this._

"You have to, Hinata. He's your boyfriend. How can you be scared of speaking with your boyfriend?" Ino picked up their dishes and Hinata followed her, "You're doing that _thing again."_

"W-what thing?" Hinata asked as she placed her empty dish on the counter and they exited the cafeteria.

"The _thing_ where you run away and pretend everything is fine."

She sighed. Ino was right. If this relationship was to ever move forward, she would need to speak her mind more often. Glancing at the digital clock on her phone, she opened his contact.

"Can we at least do this in your room?" Hinata asked tiredly.

The blonde nodded and the two proceeded to walk across campus to her dorm buildings.

Ino was one of the few who applied for university in Tokyo. Although they were never close in high school, they bonded in post-secondary. It was an easy friendship where Ino complemented what Hinata lacked, and vice versa.

It was 8:02 pm by the time they had entered and Ino had changed into something comfortable. Hinata made a mental note as she glanced at the digital clock, Naruto should still be awake.

Hugging Ino's cushion pillow to her chest, Hinata picked up her phone and tapped on Naruto's contact card. The dial tone rang shortly before he picked up, "Hi-Hinata?" He answered, surprised.

Heart hammering in her chest, she started. "N-naruto."

"Y-you called…" he spoke, boyish and raspy again. "What's up?"

"I-i—" she tried.

"Sorry… Sorry I didn't call you earlier," he said quickly.

"I-it's alright."

"I…I was thinking a lot and…" He began.

"I-I'm sorry for how I acted earlier," she tried. He didn't need to explain himself, he had nothing to explain for. _She_ had acted irrationally.

"It's okay, Hinata. You… you have nothing to apologize for… It's… it's me who should be apologizing."

"Huh?" She blanked.

"Well…" he began hesitatingly. "I… I feel like I'm being really unfair to you… I-I know we both promised we would support each other…"

She nodded even though she knew he wouldn't see. Ino took a seat in front of her, cerulean eyes intense and curious. The blonde made a gesture, _well?_

Hinata chose to ignore it, instead she spoke into the phone. "Y-yeah…"

"And to be honest, I-I really love you. It's… It's just I'm not ready for _this…_ us. I'm so sorry."

 _No. Why. Why?_ "Wh-why do you say that, Naruto?" She asked, dropping the endearing _-kun._

"I've been away for so long, Hinata. I, myself don't even know when I'll come back. I'm just… I'm just not ready to. And I feel like I'm holding _you_ back. You're always waiting for me, and you don't deserve that," he said. He must've thought about this long and hard. Probably had rehearsed it in his head.

In a way he was right, her subconscious argued. But it didn't matter, her emotions were everywhere, her eyes were burning and she was picking at her wool sweater. She was shaken out of her stupor when Ino had moved from across from her to pull the girl into a warm hug, while Hinata struggled to speak in to the phone.

"I..I… I don't know what to say," she said quietly.

He waited a moment before continuing, not wanting to interrupt her if she did. "I-I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I really… really am."

"O-okay," she responded lamely. She felt butterflies in her stomach, but not the kind that gave you fluttery feelings. No, this kind made her never want to eat again.

"W-we're still friends… right?" he asked, voice breaking but realizing she wasn't going to say anything, he took a deep breath. There were things he wanted to say too, but couldn't bring himself to if she wasn't going to try. "D-do you have anything else you want to say?" he probed. Maybe he was throwing her a line for her to catch, but she was too meek to take it.

"N-no… you'll... You'll always be my friend." She felt like throwing up.

"Bye."

"Bye, Naruto."

She had rehearsed her lines in her head over the days, but in the end when push came to shove, she had given up.

Her finger trembled over his contact card as Ino rubbed circles on her back. She wanted to call him back. _So badly._ But ultimately, she turned her phone off scornfully and stuffed it in her bag.

In the end, she was her own greatest enemy.


End file.
